Glove packaging having antimicrobial barrier

ABSTRACT

A glove packaging comprises a container for holding the gloves and a barrier positioned to cover at least a portion of an opening in the container. The barrier protects the gloves from airborne particles and other materials or contaminants that may contaminate the gloves prior to removal from the packaging. The barrier also includes an antimicrobial material for protecting the gloves from microorganisms, pathogens or other materials or contaminants that come in contact with the barrier to further reduce the possibility of contamination.

CLAIM OF PRIORITY AND CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a Continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No.13/790,091, which was filed on Mar. 8, 2013, now allowed, as aContinuation-in-Part of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 12/148,448,which was filed on Apr. 18, 2008, now abandoned, both of which areincorporated herein by reference in their respective entireties and forall purposes.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present disclosure relates generally to packaging for gloves. Moreparticularly, the present disclosure relates to packaging for gloveshaving a barrier for protecting the gloves from contamination frommicroorganisms and other undesirable materials or contaminants, andmethods for making the packaging.

BACKGROUND

Gloves are widely used as a protective measure and have become mandatoryin many industries and nearly all medical and surgical settings. Inparticular, disposable gloves are required as a means for protectingmedical and surgical staff from coming into contact with bodily fluidsduring surgical procedures, medical examinations, laboratory testing andother medical procedures. Disposable gloves have traditionally been madeof rubber materials such as latex, thermoplastic materials such asvinyl, and other natural and synthetic materials.

Many gloves are provided in packaging having a cavity for holding thegloves. The packaging includes an opening for removing the gloves fromthe packaging. The opening is typically revealed by removing aperforated portion of the packaging to access the gloves. Once theperforated portion of the packaging is removed to reveal the opening,the gloves are exposed to the ambient environment. As the ambientenvironment may contain microorganisms, pathogens, small airborneparticles of dust and debris and other air contaminants, the glovescontained in the packaging may be exposed to undesirable materials orcontaminants that may contaminate the gloves while they are in thepackaging.

Thus, there exists a need for a glove packaging that includes a barrierto protect gloves contained within the glove packaging frommicroorganisms, airborne particles and other materials or contaminantsthat may contaminate the gloves prior to removal from the packaging.Preferably, the barrier can also destroy any microorganisms, pathogensor other materials or contaminants that come in contact with the barrierto further reduce the possibility of contamination.

SUMMARY

According to one embodiment of the present concepts, a packaging forgloves comprises a container having a cavity for holding the gloves. Thecontainer includes an opening for removing the gloves from thecontainer. The packaging also comprises a barrier including anantimicrobial material positioned to cover at least a portion of theopening of the container.

In another embodiment of the present concepts, a method for making apackaging for gloves comprises providing a container having a cavity forholding the gloves. The container includes an opening for removing thegloves from the container. The method further comprises providing atleast a first barrier having an antimicrobial material and attaching thefirst barrier to the container such that the barrier at least partiallycovers a portion of the opening of the container.

In yet another embodiment of the present concepts, a container forholding a plurality of gloves comprises a body portion, an opening andan antimicrobial film covering the opening. The antimicrobial filmincludes an aperture to facilitate removal of the gloves from theopening of the container.

The above summary of the present concepts is not intended to representeach embodiment or every aspect of the present concepts. The detaileddescription and Figures will describe many of the embodiments andaspects of the present concepts.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The foregoing and other advantages of the invention will become apparentupon reading the following detailed description and upon reference tothe drawings.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a glove packaging according to oneembodiment of the present concepts.

FIG. 2 is a top view of the glove packaging illustrating anantimicrobial barrier.

FIG. 3 is a side view of a barrier including an antimicrobial material.

FIG. 4 is a side view of another embodiment of a barrier including anantimicrobial material.

While the invention is susceptible to various modifications andalternative forms, specific embodiments have been shown by way ofexample in the drawings and will be described in detail herein. Itshould be understood, however, that the invention is not intended to belimited to the particular forms disclosed. Rather, the invention is tocover all modifications, equivalents, and alternatives falling withinthe spirit and scope of the invention.

DESCRIPTION OF ILLUSTRATIVE EMBODIMENTS

FIG. 1 illustrates a packaging 10 for gloves 12. The packaging 10comprises a container 14 having a cavity 16 for holding the gloves 12.The container 14 includes an opening 18 for removing the gloves 12 fromthe container 14. The opening 18 may be in the form of different shapes,such as a circle, an oval, a square, a rectangle, or any variation ofsuch shapes, such that a user may insert his or her hand through theopening 18 to remove one or more of the gloves 12. The opening 18 mayinitially be covered by a removable segment 20 that is initially formedas part of the container 14. The removable segment 20, which may be aperforated segment, is removable from the packaging 10 by a user oncethe packaging 10 is ready to be opened by tearing the removable segment20 away from the packaging 10. The removable segment 20 is generallydiscarded after it is removed from the packaging 10. In addition to aperforated segment, the removable segment 20 may include an adhesivesegment that is removable from the packaging 10.

The container 14 and removable segment 20 may be comprised of a varietyof materials or combinations of materials, such as paper, plastic orfabric. The gloves 12 may include medical and/or surgical disposablegloves that are comprised of rubber materials such as latex,thermoplastic materials such as vinyl, and other natural and syntheticmaterials, such as nitrile, polyvinyl chloride, polyethylene,polyisoprene, neoprene, polychloriprene, etc. The gloves 12 may includeother materials, such as antimicrobial coatings and/or coatings forprotecting the skin that include aloe, chamomile, vitamin(s), orcombinations thereof and other suitable ingredients that may provideskin care benefits, such as moisturizing and soothing dry, irritatedskin. In addition to disposable gloves, it is contemplated that othertypes of gloves, i.e., non-medical or non-surgical gloves, could be usedwith the present concepts.

The packaging 10 may also comprise a barrier 22 that covers at least aportion of the opening 18 of the container 14. The barrier 22 may be afilm, a piece of paper laminated with film or any type of flexiblematerial that is suitable for providing or acting as a barrier. Thebarrier 22 inhibits or prevents microorganisms, pathogens, smallairborne particles of dust and debris and other air contaminants fromcontacting and thus contaminating the gloves 12 prior to removal fromthe packaging 10. Thus, the barrier 22 helps to protect the gloves 12from being exposed to undesirable materials or contaminants while thegloves 12 are in the packaging 10. Providing gloves 12 that are freefrom undesirable materials or contaminants reduces the risk thatpatients and healthcare workers will be exposed to such materials orcontaminants and thereby reduces the opportunity to spread potentiallyharmful and infectious materials or contaminants. Furthermore, providinggloves 12 that are free from undesirable materials or contaminants alsoreduces or prevents cross-contamination that may occur between differentpatients.

In one embodiment, where the barrier 22 is a film, the film is a thinsheet of material, such as polypropylene, polystyrene, polyester,polyamide, polyvinylchloride, polyethylene (low density polyethylene,medium density polyethylene and/or high density polyethylene),polyvinylidene chloride, regenerated cellulose, cellulose acetate,and/or combinations thereof. The film material selected may be based onfactors such as cost, shelf-life, barrier effectiveness, performance,etc. The film, including the paper-laminated film and any of theembodiments described herein, may have a thickness of less than about 10mils, particularly from about 1 mil to about 6 mils. The thickness maybe selected based on a variety of factors such as barrier effectiveness,cost, material(s) used, performance characteristics such as transparencyand flexibility, etc. The film may be clear or colored. The film mayalso be printed or plain, and may be flat, patterned or embossed. Also,the film may be laminated with one or more other materials, in additionto paper, such as foil, vinyl or other materials. The film, includingthe paper-laminated film and any of the embodiments described herein,helps to prevent exposure of the inside of the container 14 tomicroorganisms, airborne particles and other materials or contaminants.

The barrier 22 may be a single sheet of film or may be multi-layered, asshown in FIGS. 1 and 2, as barriers 22 a, 22 b. The barriers 22, 22 a,22 b may comprise the same type of or different materials. The barrier22, 22 a, 22 b may also cover all or a portion of the top surface of thecontainer 14, and may include an opening, aperture or slit in the middleof the barrier 22, 22 a, 22 b for removing the gloves 12. Havingadditional materials and/or additional layers may provide betterprotection than a single layer.

As shown in the embodiment of FIG. 2, the barriers 22 a, 22 b mayinclude at least two overlapping films, including the paper-laminatedfilm and any of the embodiments described herein, that are attached tothe container 14. A first overlapping film or barrier 22 a may cover adifferent portion of the opening 18 of the container 14 than a secondoverlapping film or barrier 22 b. The barriers 22 a, 22 b may bepositioned such that the barriers 22 a, 22 b are adjacent and overlap atan area corresponding approximately to the center of the opening 18,although it is contemplated that an overlapping portion 23 of thebarriers 22 a, 22 b may be at other locations other than the center ofthe opening 18. Having the overlapping portions 23 at or near the centerof the opening 18 may allow for larger areas for users to insert theirhands to obtain one or more gloves 12, which may make removing theuser's hand and glove easier. The overlapping portion 23 of the barriers22 a, 22 b creates a slit 24 which allows a user to insert his or herhand through the slit 24 and remove a glove(s) 12 from the container 14.The barriers 22 a, 22 b may include a film, a piece of paper laminatedwith film or any type of flexible material that is suitable forproviding or acting as a barrier.

Thus, one method for making the packaging 10 for gloves 12 includesproviding a container 14 having a cavity 16 for holding the gloves 12and an opening 18 for removing the gloves 12 from the container 14. Oncea barrier, such as barrier 22, 22 a, 22 b, is provided which includesthe antimicrobial material, a suitable method for attaching the barrier22, 22 a, 22 b can be used to cover at least a portion of the opening 18of the container 14. In some embodiments, the barrier 22, 22 a, 22 bincludes overlapping films or barriers that cover the opening 18 of thecontainer 14 and form the slit 24 for removal of the gloves 12 from thecontainer 14.

In the embodiments shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the barriers 22, 22 a, 22 bare attached to an inside surface of the top portion of the container14. The barriers 22, 22 a, 22 b may be attached to the container 14 viaadhesive material, glue, heat bonding, mechanical bonding, such asstaples, and other suitable modes of attachment. The barriers 22, 22 a,22 b may be attached along one or more peripheries, or other suitablearea, of the top of the container 14. The barriers 22, 22 a, 22 bthemselves may be made according to various methods, includingextrusion, extrusion coating, co-extrusion or calendaring, or othersuitable methods for making films. Extrusion, for example, is one of themost common and inexpensive methods for making a film.

The barrier 22, 22 a, 22 b of the embodiments described herein mayinclude an antimicrobial material(s). The antimicrobial material(s) mayinclude, but is/are not limited to, silver-based antimicrobialmaterials, copper-based antimicrobial materials, chlorhexidenegluconate, benzalkonium chloride, monoquaternary and polyquaternaryammonium salt-based antimicrobial materials (including covalent bondedquaternary ammonium salt (QAS)), biguanide-based antimicrobials such aspolyhexamethylene biguanide (PHMB), triclosan, zinc pyrithione,isothiazolinone-based antimicrobials, 10,10′-oxybisphenoxarsine-based(OPBA) antimicrobials, peptide-based antimicrobials, naturalantimicrobials such as hops extract, honey and chitosan-basedantimicrobials, and any combinations thereof. The antimicrobial materialmay be selected based on a variety of factors, such as an efficacyrequirement (percent of reduction), time to kill, antimicrobialspectrum, i.e., how broadly the antimicrobial material can killbacteria, or other viruses, mold, fungi, etc. The amount ofantimicrobial material used may depend on the specific antimicrobialmaterial used, as different antimicrobial materials will requiredifferent levels for effectiveness. Thus, the amount of antimicrobialmaterial needed will vary, but each antimicrobial material will have anantimicrobially effective level.

The antimicrobial material may be added to the barrier 22, 22 a, 22 baccording to different methods that include, but are not limited to,spraying, coating, mixing with a polymer before extrusion, or othermethods suitable to result in an application or addition of theantimicrobial material to the barrier 22, 22 a, 22 b. The particularmethod chosen may depend on the type of manufacturing process being usedto make the barrier 22, 22 a, 22 b, the end use of the product, cost andother relevant factors. In some embodiments, spraying may be the mostcost effective method. In other embodiments, the antimicrobial materialmay be added to the barrier 22, 22 a, 22 b by mixing the antimicrobialmaterial with the barrier material before extrusion. Mixing may beadvantageous as it does not require additional steps in themanufacturing process. All of these methods provide for theantimicrobial material to be included on the surface of the barrier 22,22 a, 22 b, distributed within the barrier 22, 22 a, 22 b, or both.

As shown in FIG. 3, the antimicrobial material 30 may be uniformly addedto the surface of and incorporated within the barrier 22, 22 a, 22 bsuch that once a microorganism comes in contact with the barrier 22, 22a, 22 b, it comes into contact with the antimicrobial material 30 and iskilled. While it is possible to add the antimicrobial material 30 toonly a portion of the barrier 22, 22 a, 22 b, such as coating thesurface of the barrier 22, 22 a, 22 b with the antimicrobial material 30as shown in FIG. 4, it is generally more economical and effective totreat the whole barrier 22, 22 a, 22 b (FIG. 3). In some embodiments,the antimicrobial material 30 distributed within the barrier 22, 22 a, 2b may migrate to the surface of the barrier 22, 22 a, 22 b once theantimicrobial material 30 on the surface is consumed.

Thus, the antimicrobial material 30 that is added to the barrier 22, 22a, 22 b destroys the microorganisms and pathogens that may come incontact with the barrier 22, 22 a, 22 b and thus reduces and/oreliminates the amount of microorganisms that may be deposited on thedisposable gloves 12 housed within the container 14. The antimicrobialmaterial 30 in combination with the barrier 22, 22 a, 22 b creates acontaminant-free zone on the packaging 10 that assists in reducing oreliminating patients and healthcare workers' exposure to potentiallyinfectious and harmful microorganisms and contaminants. Additionally,the barrier 22, 22 a, 22 b prevents or reduces the occurrence ofairborne particles and other materials or contaminants that maycontaminate the gloves prior to removal from the packaging.

In accord with aspects of the disclosed concepts, the antimicrobialmaterial 30 can be a selected blend of two or more additives which areshown to most effectively achieve a 4-log reduction (˜99.9%) of prioritymicroorganisms and contaminants. The test inoculum with which theeffectiveness of the antimicrobial material 30 is shown may comprise,singly or in any combination, Staphylococcus aureus (or “S. aureus”; acommon cause of staph infection, skin infections, respiratory disease,and food poisoning), methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus (or“MRSA”), Klebsiella pneumonia (or “K. pneumonia”; a form of bacterialpneumonia), Escherichia coli (commonly abbreviated “E. coli”; awell-known cause of serious food poisoning), Pseudomonas aeruginosa (or“P. aeruginosa”; a surface-borne bacteria with potentially fatalsymptoms), or Acinetobacter baumannii (or “A. baumannii”; anantibiotic-resistant pathogenic bacteria that causes pneumonia andpotentially fatal infections), for example. The test procedure withwhich the effectiveness of the antimicrobial material 30 is shown mayinclude International Organization for Standardization (ISO) standard22196:2007, “Plastics—Measurement of Antibacterial Activity on PlasticsSurfaces,” or ISO 22196:2011, “Measurement of antibacterial activity onplastics and other non-porous surfaces,” both of which are incorporatedherein by reference in their entireties.

The “Value of Antimicrobial Activity” can be represented as:R=[log(B/C)]where: R=value of antimicrobial activity; B=average of the number ofviable cells of bacteria on the untreated test piece after 0 hours; and,C=average of the number of viable cells of bacteria on the antimicrobialtest piece after 24 hours. R is commonly referred to as the “logreduction” of antimicrobial activity. It may be desirable, for somepreferred embodiments, that the antimicrobial material 30 provide atleast a 4-log reduction (i.e., less than approximately 0.1% survivalrate) of all selected microorganisms and contaminants (e.g., thoseenumerated in the previous paragraph). By way of non-limiting example,some configurations may require the antimicrobial material 30 exhibit atleast approximately a 4.9 log reduction of S. aureus, at leastapproximately a 4.9 log reduction of K. pneumonia, at leastapproximately a 6.0 log reduction of E. coli, and/or at leastapproximately a 5.2 log reduction of MRSA (e.g., as determined inaccordance with ISO 22196:2007). For some configurations, theantimicrobial material 30 must exhibit at least approximately a 5.3 logreduction of MRSA, at least approximately a 5.1 log reduction of K.pneumonia, and/or at least approximately a 5.4 log reduction of E. coli(e.g., as determined in accordance with ISO 22196:2007). For someconfigurations, the antimicrobial material 30 must exhibit at leastapproximately a 5.6 log reduction of P. aeruginosa (e.g., as determinedin accordance with ISO 22196:2007). Some configurations may require theantimicrobial material 30 exhibit at least approximately a 5.2 logreduction of A. baumannii (e.g., as determined in accordance with ISO22196:2007).

According to some embodiments, the antimicrobial material 30 is aselected combination of zinc-based and silver-based materials which areproven, individually or in combination, to achieve the above-mentionedminimum 4-log reduction of microorganisms and contaminants. Onepreferred batch includes a mixture of a zinc-based antimicrobialcompound, such as ULTRA-FRESH® KW-100 available from Thomson ResearchAssociates, Inc., of Toronto, Ontario, Canada, at levels ranging fromapproximately 0.075% to 0.1% of the total material weight, and asilver-based antimicrobial compound, such as ULTRA-FRESH® SA-18available from Thomson Research Associates, Inc., at levels ranging fromapproximately 0.1% to 0.5% of the total material weight. Thesilver-based antimicrobial compound may derive from the SilverRefractories chemical family, may have a specific gravity ofapproximately 2.7, may have a time-weighted average (TWA) ofapproximately 10 mg/m³, may have a short term exposure limit (STEL) of15 mg/m³, and may comprise glass, oxide, and silver phosphate. In asimilar regard, the zinc-based antimicrobial compound may derive fromthe Pyrithione chemical family, may have a specific gravity ofapproximately 1.8, may have a time-weighted average (TWA) ofapproximately 0.35 mg/m³, and may compriseBis(1-hydroxy-2(1H)-pyridinethionato-O,S)-(T-4) zinc and2-Pyridinol-1-oxide. Optionally, the selected materials may exhibitbactericide, fungicide and/or algaecide characteristics.

As indicated above, the barrier 22 may be attached to the container 14via an adhesive material. The adhesive may be a thermoplastic pressuresensitive adhesive (PSA), a hot-melt-adhesive, a thermoset adhesives, orany other adhesive with sufficient bonding strength for the intendedapplication. It is desirable, for at least some applications, topre-treat the barrier 22 prior to or during the attachment process inorder to improve bonding strength and, thus, minimize any inadvertentdetachment of the barrier 22 from the container 14. Applications wherethe barrier 22 is a polymeric film, for example, may require the contactside of the barrier, or selected portions thereof, be corona treated(also known as “air plasma” treated) to impart changes to the propertiesof the contact surface and thereby increase the surface tension of thefilm. Alternative methods by which the surface tension of the barrier 22may be increased include etching, priming, flame treatment, and ozonetreatment. For some applications, the film surface tension (or “dynelevel”) is increased to at least approximately 42 dynes or, in someembodiments at least approximately 48 dynes, to assist the barrier 22 inadhering to the glove box container 14. The surface tension may bemeasured in accordance with DIN ISO 8296 or American Society for Testingand Materials (ASTM) standard D2578-09, both of which are incorporatedherein by reference in their entireties. It may be desirable, for someembodiments, that the barrier 22 exhibits a minimum peel-force strengthof 166-218 N/m or, for some embodiments, at least approximately 192 N/m.For some embodiments, the barrier 22 exhibits an average maximumpull-off force of at least approximately 184 N/m or, for someembodiments, at least approximately 230 N/m or, for some embodiments, atleast approximately 275 N/m.

The container 14 of the glove packaging 10 may take on various shapes,sizes, and features within the scope of this disclosure. As shown inFIG. 1 of the drawings, for example, the container 14 is a rectangularpolyhedron with opposing rectangular top and bottom walls that areinterconnected by four rectangular sidewalls. The opening 18 of theglove packaging 10 is formed through the top wall of the container 14.The opening 18 may take on a variety of shapes, as indicated above;however, it may be desirable for some embodiments that the opening 18have an elliptical shape with the major axis aligned parallel to thelength of the container 14. The barrier 22 is, in at least someembodiments, a rectangular film that is adhered to the underside surfaceof the top wall of the container 14. For at least some embodiments, thetop wall of the container is approximately 240 mm long×124 mm high (9.4in.×4.9 in.), the film barrier is approximately 150 mm long×112 mm high(5.9 in.×4.4 in.), and/or the opening is approximately 120 mm long×60 mmhigh (4.7 in.×2.4 in.). Optionally, the opening can be approximately 122mm long×64 mm high (4.8 in.×2.5 in.). Optionally, the film barrier isapproximately 160 mm wide×102 mm long (6.3 in.×4.0 in.) or approximately191 mm wide×102 mm long (7.5 in.×4.0 in.). In some embodiments, theadhesive is a thermoset Glue pattern: square parameter around the windowperforation

While the present invention has been described with reference to one ormore particular embodiments, those skilled in the art will recognizethat many changes may be made thereto without departing from the spiritand scope of the present invention. Each of these embodiments andobvious variations thereof is contemplated as falling within the spiritand scope of the invention, which is set forth in the following claims.

What is claimed is:
 1. A packaging for holding and dispensing gloves,the packaging comprising: a container with a cavity configured to holdthe gloves, the container having an opening through which the gloves areremovable from the container; and a barrier attached to the containervia an adhesive to exhibit an average pull-off force of at leastapproximately 184 N/m, the barrier covering at least a portion of theopening of the container, wherein the barrier includes an antimicrobialmaterial comprising a zinc-based material with a specific gravity ofapproximately 1.8 and a time-weighted average (TWA) of approximately0.35 mg/m³.
 2. The packaging of claim 1, wherein at least a portion of acontact side of the barrier adhered to the container via the adhesiveincludes an air plasma treatment.
 3. The packaging of claim 1, whereinat least a portion of a contact side of the barrier adhered to thecontainer via the adhesive includes an etching treatment, a primingtreatment, a flame treatment, or an ozone treatment, or any combinationthereof.
 4. The packaging of claim 1, wherein at least a portion of thebarrier exhibits a surface tension of at least approximately 48 dynes.5. The packaging of claim 1, wherein at least a portion of the barrierexhibits a minimum peel-force strength of at least approximately 192N/m.
 6. The packaging of claim 1, wherein the antimicrobial materialfurther comprises a silver-based material, wherein the silver-basedmaterial is a compound derived from the Silver Refractories chemicalfamily.
 7. The packaging of claim 1, wherein the zinc-based material isa compound derived from the Pyrithione chemical family.
 8. The packagingof claim 1, wherein the antimicrobial material exhibits a minimum 4-logreduction of Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus), methicillin resistantStaphylococcus aureus (MRSA), Klebsiella pneumonia (K. pneumonia),Escherichia coli (E. coli), Pseudomonas aeruginosa, or Acinetobacterbaumannii, or any combinations thereof.
 9. The packaging of claim 1,wherein the antimicrobial material exhibits bactericide, fungicide, oralgaecide characteristics, or any combination thereof.
 10. The packagingof claim 1, wherein the barrier is a polymeric film.
 11. The packagingof claim 10, wherein the antimicrobial material is added to the barrierby mixing the antimicrobial material with the barrier before extrusionthereof.
 12. The packaging of claim 1, wherein the barrier has athickness of from about 1 mil to about 6 mils.
 13. A method for making apackaging for gloves, the method comprising: receiving a containerhaving a cavity configured to hold the gloves, the container having anopening through which the gloves are removable from the container;receiving a barrier; and attaching the barrier to the container via anadhesive such that the barrier covers at least a portion of the openingand exhibits an average pull-off force of at least approximately 184N/m, wherein the barrier includes an antimicrobial material comprisingat least one of a silver-based material and a zinc-based material,wherein the zinc-based material has a specific gravity of approximately1.8 and a time-weighted average (TWA) of approximately 0.35 mg/m³, andthe silver-based material has a specific gravity of approximately 2.7and a time-weighted average (TWA) of approximately 10 mg/m³.
 14. Themethod of claim 13, further comprising air plasma treating at least aportion of a contact side of the barrier prior to attaching the barrierto the container.
 15. The method of claim 13, wherein at least a portionof the barrier exhibits a surface tension of at least approximately 48dynes.
 16. The method of claim 13, wherein at least a portion of thebarrier exhibits a minimum peel-force strength of at least approximately192 N/m.
 17. The method of claim 13, wherein the silver-based materialis a compound derived from the Silver Refractories chemical family andthe zinc-based material is a compound derived from the Pyrithionechemical family.
 18. A packaging for holding and dispensing gloves, thepackaging comprising: a container with a cavity configured to hold thegloves, the container having an opening through which the gloves areremovable from the container; and a barrier attached to the containervia an adhesive to exhibit an average pull-off force of at leastapproximately 184 N/m, the barrier covering at least a portion of theopening of the container, wherein the barrier includes an antimicrobialmaterial comprising a silver-based material with a specific gravity ofapproximately 2.7 and a time-weighted average (TWA) of approximately 10mg/m³.
 19. The packaging of claim 18, wherein at least a portion of acontact side of the barrier adhered to the container via the adhesiveincludes an air plasma treatment.
 20. The packaging of claim 18, whereinat least a portion of a contact side of the barrier adhered to thecontainer via the adhesive includes an etching treatment, a primingtreatment, a flame treatment, or an ozone treatment, or any combinationthereof.
 21. The packaging of claim 18, wherein at least a portion ofthe barrier exhibits a surface tension of at least approximately 48dynes.
 22. The packaging of claim 18, wherein at least a portion of thebarrier exhibits a minimum peel-force strength of at least approximately192 N/m.
 23. The packaging of claim 18, wherein the antimicrobialmaterial further comprises a zinc-based material with a specific gravityof approximately 1.8 and a time-weighted average (TWA) of approximately0.35 mg/m³, wherein the zinc-based material is derived from thePyrithione chemical family.
 24. The packaging of claim 18, wherein thesilver-based material is a compound derived from the Silver Refractorieschemical family.